'Go Master' needs to go faster
Joe Nguyen, editor
May 23, 2007

While sitting in his room, Wu Qingyuan – played by Chen Chang (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) – hears the sounds of singing, laughter and celebration. It is not something that the Chinese-born Go player has heard much during the midst of the Sino-Japanese War.

Enamored by the ruckus, Wu decides to join in on the fun until he notices that the celebration is for the invasion of his homeland. He is living in Japan and China is a water body away. In an instance, the fun and excitement turn to sadness and anger for him.

In “The Go Master,” director Tien Zhuangzhuang explores the life of the man who is considered to be the greatest Go player in the 20th century. Go is a two-player board game in which players place black and white stones on the intersections of a 19x19 grid. The player with the most territory at the end of the game wins. Although the film has beautiful cinematography and a solid performance by Chen Chang, its painfully slow storytelling and lack of dialogue makes it a less-than-desirable cinematic adventure.

Cinematographer Wang Yu (“Tea-Horse Road Series: Delamu”) teams up with Zhuangzhuang to produce visually appealing scenes, capturing captivating landscapes. One can become lost in the stunning shots during the course of the film.

Chang carries the film with his performance. Quiet and reserved for most of the movie, it's the moments when he unleashes his emotions that light up the screen. These outbursts are amplified because the character is so calm and collected.

Unfortunately the film's pace is difficult to endure. There's nothing wrong with slow movies, but when there's minimal dialogue and little activity taking place, it becomes tiresome to watch. Even though the meat of the movie takes place throughout the course of 30 years, it doesn't need to feel like it should take 30 years to get there.

“The Go Master” is not so much a biopic of a legendary Go player; rather it follows the journey of a man who seeks to find his place in the world. A man whose life is about faith and the game he plays is just that, a game. Although interesting in theory, the film's execution is flawed.

Joe gives "The Go Master":

Joe Nguyen is the editor in chief for AsiaXpress.com. Joe can be contacted via e-mail at Joe@asiaxpress.com.